Jaume Gomis, Robert Myers, and Kendrick Smith each received five-year grants, worth a collective total of $790,000. For Gomis and Myers, the successful grants are renewals of previous funding, while Smith, new to Perimeter’s faculty in 2013 (after a one-year leave of absence), is a first-time recipient.

Myers, one of Perimeter’s founding faculty members, will use the grant to explore new developments in string theory. Gomis’ grant will support research into nonpertubative quantum fields and strings, and Smith received funding for his project, “Next generation data analysis for CMB and large-scale structure,” which pertains to exciting recent observational developments regarding the cosmic microwave background.

The Discovery Grants Program is NSERC’s largest and longest-running program, which supports long-term research programs, while allowing researchers the flexibility to explore promising research avenues as they emerge. Grants are awarded following a national, peer-reviewed process to evaluate applications based on (i) the excellence of the researcher, (ii) the merit of their research proposal, and (iii) their achievements in, and plans for, research training.

– Mike Brown

ABOUT NSERCNSERC aims to make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians. The agency supports university students in their advanced studies, promotes and supports discovery research, and fosters innovation by encouraging Canadian companies to participate and invest in postsecondary research projects. NSERC researchers are on the vanguard of science, building on Canada’s long tradition of scientific excellence. http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca

further exploration

About Perimeter Institute

Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement.